Meet ATRU Staff Member Beth Bullock, Group and Subscription Sales Manager

Have you ever wondered who is the friendly voice on the phone when ordering your subscription or group? Group and Subscription Sales Manager, Beth Bullock, makes sure your group and subscription orders are handled correctly. Beth discusses what she loves about the Auditorium and which shows she's most excited about this season and more!



ATRU: What do you like most about working at the Auditorium?

BB: My favorite part of working at the Auditorium is the opportunity for variety. I get to do much of the photography for our camp, Hands Together, Heart to Art. I also get to meet an amazing variety of people in my work. The opportunity to be creative and crafty often presents itself, as when I constructed a scale model of our theatre seating for the League of Chicago Theatres Gala. I also get to be an event planner, not only for groups coming to the theatre, but also for our staff holiday party (ideas for next year are being accepted now)!



ATRU: Tell us about your favorite performing arts memory.
BB: My favorite performing arts memory is a draw: it could be the first time I even auditioned for a show when I was 5 years old (it was Annie), and I was so scared I cried on my Mom's lap until I got up the courage to get up on stage and sing. It could also be when I attended the opening night of Spamalot, and I got a seat RIGHT in front of Eric Idle - at the end, I turned around and thanked him for a wonderful show and shook his hand.



ATRU: What is your favorite feature of the Auditorium?
BB: The view of the ceiling arches in our house, which are speckled with carbon filament light bulbs always thrills me every time I enter for a show. From the first show I ever saw here (Miss Saigon many years ago when I was still in high school) to our current Cabaret shows, Dance Series, and Music performances, the glory of the theatre's interior always excites me.



ATRU: What show are you most excited about this season?
BB: While I am always excited to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah, I am really looking forward to Batsheva and Nederlands Dans Theater. Both of these troupes are new to me, they are more contemporary, and this is their first time performing in Chicago in a long time. Then again, Margaret Garner will be the first opera I've ever been to, so I'm also excited about that. If I just throw in the Kirov Ballet's Giselle and the Eifman Ballet's Eugene Onegin, then I'll be excited about everything on the season. And I admit it - I am!

Batsheva Dance Company Video

Don't miss the Batsheva Dance Company on February 7 and 8, 2009 as they perform Deca Dance. This world-renowned contemporary dance ensemble returns to Chicago after over 35 years.

Tickets available in four easy ways:

Online: ticketmaster.com
Phone: 312.902.1500
In person: Auditorium Box Office located at 50 E. Congress Pkwy, Chicago, IL. Open Mon-Fri, noon-6 p.m. Visit auditoriumtheatre.org for holiday box office hours.
Groups 10+: 312.431.2357

Meet ATRU Staff Member Nicole Losurdo, Education Manager

ATRU: How long have you worked at the Auditorium?

NL: A little over a year.

ATRU: What is your job at the Auditorium?
NL: As the Education Manager at the Auditorium I work to develop and maintain Creative Engagement activities and relationships with our community. One of the most rewarding and meaningful aspects of my position is to be the Camp Director for our special summer day camp, Hands Together, Heart to Art. HTHTA is designed for children ages 7-14 who have experienced the death of one or both parents. Using the performing arts to encourage communication, self-esteem and team building, campers are able to interact with other children who have experienced a similar loss. Our campers also meet with professional healing counselors where they are given a safe time and place to express and share their feelings with their peers.

During the school year, I mainly work with CPS grade schools and high schools doing outreach activites including our current touring production of A Midnight Cry: The Undergroup Railraod to Freedom in conjunction with the Auditorium's November production of Margaret Garner. In addition to heading up our National Landmark Theatre Tours, I also coordinate our Fireside Chat series, create lesson plans, and facilitate ourreach activites and residenceis in CPS schools with the talented artists that grace our stage.

ATRU: What is your favorite part about working at the Auditorium?
NL: Being able to work for an organization that had such an influence on my theatrical experiences as a child is overwhelming. I have such distinct memories of coming to the Auditorium with my family, sitting all the way up in the gallery, and I remember the feeling of awe the theatre cast over me (and continues to today). I still get the chills while gazing up at Adler's beautiful arches as the house lights fade before each performance.

Click here to learn more about the Auditorium's unique education and outreach programs.